


The Shield That Never Was

by scrawlingcomet



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Daemon Slayer Iris, Gen, Iris the daemon slayer, that all i need square that's all i need
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2018-01-05
Packaged: 2019-02-23 12:15:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13189881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scrawlingcomet/pseuds/scrawlingcomet
Summary: Iris had hoped she once knew her destiny, what she was meant to do, but then the world ends, so she has to start over, they all do.





	1. He's gone...

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I tried to crockpot this, meaning I tried to complete it and then gradually release chapters. But I can't wait lol so here we go. At the very least I have some chapters semi-regularly so I won't just immediately leave and not post for an eternity. Good news is I wrote other stuff while trying to hold off on posting this, so some progress.

 There is no moon, no stars, it is just pitch nothingness that meets the edge horizon.

Iris peers out the window seeing that the lighthouse’s reach seems short, like the darkness halts its light. It’s meant to pierce fog and darkness, to kiss the water’s surface and guide ships, but somehow, just somehow, it no longer seems enough.

Outside the house blaringly white lights are strung up to keep the daemons at bay, to keep them from spawning, but that’s only so far. Her stomach twists thinking about the pathway the leads up here absolutely pitched in darkness, and that maybe daemons lurk there waiting for anyone drawn in by the lighthouse, hopeful for sanctuary. She exhales and takes out her phone, its brightness hurts her eyes for a second, but she blinks it away, it should only be the afternoon, but the sky hasn’t brightened for weeks now.

Her phone pings just as Monica pokes her head into the room. “Lady Iris?”

“Oh! Sorry!” She says quickly hurrying to pocket her phone and pick up the plastic crate she’d set down moments ago.

“Good, you found the extra flashlights.” Monica just smiles small and polite.

“How long do you think we’ll have power for?” Iris asks making her way through the doorway past Monica.

“Under the circumstances, with our reserves, a few weeks. However, we cannot wait till then.”

Iris hums an agreement and places her crate carefully on the dining table to join the rest of their supplies stretched out covering every surface as it’s all sorted.

“It will be wise to make our way to Lestallum as soon as possible.” Dustin chimes in, already making quick work of emptying the crate Iris just brought. Talcott helps him sort them, seeming content in the task.

Iris starts to work, and gets a few things in order and packed by the time she remembers she received a message earlier. Maybe an hour or so has passed. She pulls out her phone and sees it’s from Gladiolus.

 _‘On our way back. Call soon.’_ The text reads. It’s been almost an hour since she received it. She looks from Dustin and then to Monica. “Did anyone get a call from Gladio, recently?”

They look to each other and then shake their heads. “No, Lady Iris.” They say together.

“Hm. I’m going to call him, I got a text earlier that he’d call soon, but it’s been a while.” She excuses herself and heads up to her room.

It takes a few calls to reach him. Her heart is in her throat by the third, and finally after it rings long enough that she’s sure she’ll be sent to his voicemail again, she gets him on the seventh call.

She hears him clear his throat over the line, but his voice still comes rough and tired and… sad. “Iris…” He sounds like he might be trying to whisper. “Sorry, only just now got to a haven spot…”

He sounds so distracted she thinks. “Are you really coming back?”

“Yeah, it’ll take a few days, but we’ve got chocobos.” As if on cue she hears one croon.

“I hope you’ll make it in time, we might be heading to Lestallum very soon. Dustin and Monica think that’d be best.” 

“The faster the better, let’s just say we’ll meet in Lestallum then…” He pauses again seeming to trail off.

“Great! Can’t wait to see you all again!” She tries to say bright and sweet, but his sigh cuts it sudden and flat. She’s sure he doesn’t mean to sigh so suddenly, but something shifts and the air suddenly feels bloated and strained.

“Listen, Iris, I…” He pauses again and she can just barely hear him take in a shaky breath, like he tried to cover it up. “Noctis…is gone.”

The air pops and something bears down heavy and suffocating.

“...what?” Her feet suddenly leave her, but she catches herself on her bed straining to not just sink into it.

“He’s not gone _gone_ , he just…” He pauses again, but doesn’t make the effort to hide his shaky breathing this time. “I’ll explain everything when I see you again. I promise. Okay?”

“..sure” 

“Let me know when you all head out for Lestallum.”

“Of course. See you soon. Love you.”

“Love you too.” He hangs up.

 Iris takes a deep breath, but before she can exhale her feet have already taken her back down to where everyone is.

They all look to her expectantly and hopeful, but then heir faces fall.

“What’s wrong, Iris?” Talcott says with alarm already walking up to her. She hugs him to her side.

“They’re going to meet us in Lestallum.” She says trying to smile, but her mouth wavers and tears plop out swollen and heavy.

 

______

 

“Lady Iris, I know you’re good at fighting with your fists, but just in case.” Monica hands her a sheathed dagger. “It’s no greatsword, but I’m sure we can set you up with one after we reach Lestallum.” Monica dismisses herself to go finish prepping everything.

Iris unsheathes the dagger and looks it over, rotating it and watching it catch the light. She weighs it in her hand, it has heft to it, but it’s by no means cumbersome. She has basic training in most weapons, but she doesn’t think she has the same accuracy she’s seen Ignis wield. 

She can’t help but sigh, it is by no means her first choice, and not how she expected to be given her first weapon, but she’ll make do. Sliding it back in the sheath she holds it palm up as she makes to send it to the void, she feels something dreg around but it stops just under skin and nothing happens. “Oh.” 

 _‘Oh, right, Noctis is gone.’_ Something about the realization just doesn’t quite meet the forefront of her mind, it sits hollow and cold and small in the back instead. 

She secures the dagger at the small of her back, on her belt. Iris remembers being taught how by her father, before she could use royal magic. It was necessary to learn all the basics, because in the end, it always came down to the basics.

Iris sighs aloud.

Things have not gone to plan at all.

______

 

There are too many, too, too many daemons. It’s never looked like this, but then again, things have never been so different. They spawn in so many shapes with too many sounds.

The car can hardly maneuver the daemons just keep coming, thick like a forest, just barely grazing metal and paint. The high beams keep some of them out of the way, but there are so many Dustin still has swerve to avoid them.

Her hand grips the hilt of her dagger, just in case. She can see Monica is also ready in the front seat, action and movement already settled in the way she’s sitting, hand angled so that Iris can tell she’s got her sidearm ready.

 

Beside her Talcott has on his bravest face, he insisted he’d keep her safe. He’s nowhere near ready to fight a daemon, but in that small way, with his determination, it keeps her grounded, and in that way, she’ll be safe.

______

 

It takes much longer than it used to reach Lestallum from Cape Caem. The eternal night chopped into blocks of time for Dustin and Monica to juggle shifts between resting and keeping them moving. The paths weren’t clear enough to reach haven spots. It was just one long tightrope act, till they saw the lights of Lestallum. They made it, and that’s the most important thing. 

Only once did they have fight, it was only goblins and Monica took care of most of them. Iris made use of her dagger, one spawned just out of Dustin’s reach and went for Talcott where he sat next to Iris in the back of the car, lunging through glass sending shards flying in, but that was the worst of the damage. Iris fell on it fast her blade between its eyes and it blew away to smoke before it even realized it had died. Talcott was fine, shaken, a little scratched, but fine. Monica pushed praise through her worry, and Dustin apologized profusely, but it was fine, really, she’d insisted.

It was fine. Even though she had to sit on her hand to keep it from shaking, it was all, fine.

Iris didn’t really register the rest of the journey, if she can be honest with herself. She only noticed when the daemons thinned out till there were none, and for once it was quiet.

It wasn’t fine, it isn’t fine, but she will make it fine. Knowing that a second too late Talcott could’ve been dead, blood and viscera beside her ate away at her adrenaline and made her fingers tremble. And it is only when Iris’ head hits her pillow does tension leave her, and it is only then do her tremors cease. She exhales slowly, tightening her blanket around and her staring up at the ceiling.

They really, honestly made it. Other than the daemons antagonizing them, people all around are on edge trying to squeeze their way into Lestallum. Lights line as far as they could go with hunters patrolling, so people can actually slow down and breathe and walk into the city with some peace of mind.

“Get plenty of rest, Lady Iris. There might be little opportunity to after this.” Monica says from her perch on the windowsill, dutifully watching the city below.

“I will.” Iris says with a sigh, half wondering just when Monica herself gets any rest. She takes phone from the nightstand to check it, still no replies to her texts or any returned calls. If there’s any mercy still left of the Six, in the whole of Eos, her brother and the others will return. She sets it back down avoiding the temptation to scroll through her pictures of everyone it would only make her heart hurt more.

 

______

 

Cindy finally makes it the next night, bringing a loudly protesting Cid but he settles himself, complaining all the way. They brought a few hunters with them, well the hunters escorted them, but with Cid’s behavior you’d think he did them the favor.

Someone named Weskham Armaugh turns up with some people he helped. Bruises mottle his arms, but he says the boat ride over gave him a chance to heal, they’re just superficial now. There’s nothing left of Altissia. There almost was, but daemons swarmed in and ripped out the rest of its foundation. He smiles easy with Cid, or maybe at him, mostly teasing him. He hugs Cindy who hugs him back, and tells Iris how tall she is now just like the rest of her family.

Cor trails in a few days later, with more refugees and a few hunters. He doesn’t even have a scratch Monica says with familiar exasperation. Everything was already flowing smoothly, but his presence makes people stand straighter, people move even faster, and if any fights were close to breaking out from all the tension well those all stamp themselves out too.

It’s almost two weeks till Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto finally arrive.

And… and she sees it then, how they almost topple over on each other. They stick so close together, as if they could hide the space where Noctis no longer stands. Yeah she sees it then and she feels sorrow cold and stinging in her bones. 

Gladio beelines straight for her and hugs her tight, bows forward just a little like he’s close to falling over, like he can’t hold himself up anymore. Prompto joins the hug and takes some of Gladio’s weight. Ignis presses his hand to Gladio’s back, sure and steady. Iris reaches a hand up from where she hugs her brother, to cover his.

She feels it then, the weight of his absence.

Noctis.

He is gone.


	2. What can be one?

They should rest longer, Iris thinks, her brother and the others only arrived yesterday, but they are up before her. Bustling around so they can’t give their feet a chance to drag.

 

There’s a lot to do to just turn this building into a livable space. With all the equipment coming in it seems to be leaning more into becoming a base. There are a lot of radios piling on desks, and pouring off them wires slowly being organized into neat curved lines. From where Niflheim has been flattened up till the edge of Lestallum the cellphone towers are dying as power runs out. Cellphones will be completely worthless soon, but Iris still keeps her close, she still finds use in it.

 

Iris watches Ignis for some moments and helps him when he accepts her offer. She was told what happened, but till now she didn’t really grasp it. He ‘s still getting his bearings, trying to relearn the lay of Lestallum. Mostly the hotel they’re sleeping in, feeling around with his hands and cane, toeing around things. He ventured out a few times, Prompto followed on each trip, just in case. People are squeezed together like tinned sardines outside, short in temper and fumbling in their haste.

 

Gladiolus, he hasn’t said much, not even to her. He’s lost in his thoughts moving automatically. It’s easier to just lift things and put them where they need to go. It’s easier to just do.

 

It’s a few more hours later that she finally gets the full story. Standing around a table in a room they’ve made an office, with Cor, Monica, Dustin, Cid and Cindy all there to hear what happened. Weskham is there too, and his smile is gone, his shoulders sagged.

 

Ignis tells them everything, about the vision he had, what happened with the crystal, Prompto offers a few words now and then filling in some gaps. Gladio for the most part doesn’t speak.

 

Iris clasps her hands behind her back, squeezing them tight trying to take it all in without cracking. Without daylight it all just seems like everything has been smeared into one long endless night, like they’ve never actually stopped. They’re standing on top of the end of everything, but because they are still living, because they are still breathing, they have to do something, and everyone has suffered enough.

 

“The hunters have been doing a lot of the heavy lifting with the aid of the remaining Crownsguard, and more and more Glaives have been turning up.” Cor pauses scratching the back of his neck his frown deeper. “Right now the most important thing is to help people.”

 

Cindy hums aloud. “Left some more hunters back at Hammerhead with Taka, he called saying a lot of people were milling in, we’ve got a lot of our lights still runnin’. Can’t say we’ll be getting’ much of the same work with everything goin’ on right now, maybe we can do somethin’ with the space.”

 

“Already halfway there. Just gotta keep those daemons in their place.” Cid chimes in.

 

“Helping people will involve shelter, medicine, food, not just cutting down daemons.” Weskham points out.

 

“I know of some greenhouses that were up and running outside of Lestallum before, perhaps we can consider clearing out daemons in those areas and set up guard rotations around them. Lestallum can provide for the people now, but it will be quite task to sustain that support.” Ignis says.

 

“Indeed.” Dustin agrees and rolls out a map.

 

“Dustin and I knew of some greenhouses,” Monica starts and marks a few places. “Let’s combine what we know, and then see what’s left.” Most of them should be salvageable.

 

Ignis carefully maneuvers himself around the table closer to her and they set to work on that. He tells them where and Monica and Dustin mark it all down.

 

“We’re going to have to coordinate with Lestallum’s leaders to pull this off.” Cor says.

 

“I got a friend named Holly over at Exineris. I’m gonna reach out to her, see what can be done about getting power outside of the city.” Cindy leaves with that, ready to get to work.

 

“We need to get the word out about what we’re doing. There should be someone here who can do that. I think I might know him, he broadcasted the Oracle’s speech.” Weskham says, mouth twisting in thought.

 

“I might know who you’re talking about. I’ll come with you. I’ve got a message to send out.” Cor says already walking to the door, Weskham follows.

 

“Always work to be done, huh?” Gladiolus mummers under his breath. It is hollow and tired and no one else seems to hear.

 

Iris isn’t sure what to make of that, but she also isn’t sure what to make of herself either. There must something she is able to do, but right now there is nowhere she can think to lend hand. There are daemons to fight, but like Weskham said, it will take more.

Everyone else settles into something to do and it feels like she is just slowly edging back into space as everyone and everything passes by.

 

Cid wrangles in Prompto to help him with some work. Gladiolus stays with Ignis and the others, helping with the map. They’ll need to know about haven spots to help them with their goal.

 

Iris excuses herself saying she’ll check on Talcott. That’s a start.

______

 

Talcott is better than he was a few weeks ago, or at least trying to be, smiling and running around trying to help, but she heard Dustin and Monica speaking that he’s having trouble sleeping. She can’t blame him, she understands. Even if it weren’t for the incident, the different sounds daemons make carry over the wind and worm into your ear when you’re trying to sleep. A constant reminder that they’re there, and that even with barricades and around the clock fighting, death could come in an instant.

 

That’s too much for a kid to deal with, Iris thinks. She’s still a kid too, but she was meant for this. She knows she is. She’s still a kid, but she’s older than him. Talcott should get to be a kid a little longer.

 

So she’s taken to reading to him till he falls asleep, he likes old history books, but he also likes the little fun stories Iris remembers that her mother told her.

 

For the moment that he sleeps and really sleeps without waking, it all feels okay again.

 

______

 

Libertus finds his way to them a week later. He heard Cor’s message over the radio. Iris knows who he is, in a way. He almost literally butts heads with Cor over who should be handling the Kingsglaive. Libertus doesn’t really want to, but he’s the last senior officer among them, and he’ll be damned if anyone else does.

 

Iris has never seen someone manage to look both so miserable and proud at the same time. His first address to the Glaives starts out rough, wobbly, but his stubbornness gets him through it till it smooth’s over, even if he has to keep reminding himself to stop stuffing his hands in his pockets.

 

They’re all just trying to restart, Iris thinks, it will all stop chafing soon, she hopes.

______

“We’ll be back soon, Iris.” Ignis says reassuringly briefly touching her arm and then turning to walk where Cindy stands waiting for them, tapping his cane, and taking careful measured steps.

 

Exineris has agreed to reroute some power to Hammerhead since so many people keep running to there. Even if they can’t just light up the entire highway they’ll be able to create a safe perimeter.

 

“You won’t even get a chance to miss us.” Prompto gives her a half hug and manages one of those quick fleeting laughs of his.

 

Gladiolus doesn’t say more than a “see ya,” but he at least he hugs her tight, with all his love and lifts her off the ground for a second and then he leaves. She can tell that he’s trying his best, she knows her brother. He forces his shoulders straight, because he has to be strong, right?

 

Cindy waves goodbye and they leave.

 

Everyone is pitching in to make sure this plan gets done safely and efficiently as possible. She know she’s helped out too, but she can’t go with them, she can’t fight with them, so Iris finds her hands empty and wanting, again.

 

______

 

Three full months have passed since they settled in Lestallum and Iris has mostly been on supply duty. She helps count inventory, keeps track of schedules, routes, hands out rations. She’s not the only one, but she can’t help notice most of the people are around her age if not a little younger, and a few adults to supervise and do any heavy lifting. Everyone twenty and up seems to have some hang ups about throwing kids at daemons, Cor and Libertus especially. She’s not sure what her brother and the other’s think about this age limit, she hasn’t seen them in two weeks.

 

She smothers a bitter laugh in the crook of her elbow telling herself she’s just wiping off sweat. She misses them terribly. She misses a lot of things, but what can be done about that? Iris just has to keep working

 

It’s not bad work. It’s actually very good work, important work. Iris likes it enough. People always seem a little relieved receiving their supplies. There are always less frowns, and less hostility trying to spark in the air when everything is done. But she can’t lie, the dagger burns at her back, she always feels its weight in her hand. So she often finds herself, like now, on the flattened rooftop practicing on soiled bags of grain, the balmy air fusing cloth to her skin.

 

All her life she grew up ready to fight. To help in that way, to protect, to shield, but all that seems to have slipped from her grasp, just like the blade she throws.

 

She retrieves the dagger pulling it out and watches moldy rice pebble out till a massive clump suddenly stops the flow. She decides she’ll toss it after she wakes later. Grabbing her lantern she heads down to her room.

 

Everything she trained for doesn’t seem to matter, so instead, with the _day_ done, she lies with her phone scrolling through pictures, remembering a time when it did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading~  
> I'm finally getting the ball rolling I'm excited for what's to come :3
> 
> Feel free to stop by [ scrawlingcomet on tumblr, where I also crosspost](https://scrawlingcomet.tumblr.com/)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading~  
> Would love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Feel free to stop by [ scrawlingcomet](https://scrawlingcomet.tumblr.com/l)  
> on tumblr, where I also crosspost


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